Housing assembly for an electrical device



Nov. 30, 1965 w. L. CHERRY HOUSING ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRICAL DEVICEFiled Feb. 25, 1963 INVENTOR. )gigurzz 4 A [W/ 3,221,094 HOUSINGASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE Walter L. Cherry, Highland Park, Ill.,assignor to Cherry Electrical Products Corp., Highland Park, 11]., acorporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,367 Claims.(Cl. 174-59) This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in ahousing assembly for an electrical device and more particularly to a newand novel means for assembling a plurality of parts into an integralelectrical unit such as a plug, terminal block, switch and the like.

An important object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedhousing whereby the parts of the housing and its associated wireterminal members are connected together through structural cooperation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a connecting means forsecuring together into a housing complementary parts of such housing andassociated switch parts without the use of additional elements such asrivets, screws, studs, or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a switch housing aterminal member which is so constructed that it will secure togethermating sections of the housing, and at the same time, provide a standardtype external terminal for the switch mechanism contained in thehousing.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a means for securingtogether matching portions of a switch housing, which means is simple inconstruction and assembly and inexpensive to produce, thus reducing thecost of the finished switch product which requires a minimum ofcomponent parts, thus utilizing standard switch parts; and which ishighly effective in its use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a completed switch housingembodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the switch housing of my invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of my switch housing and itsterminal connecting means;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan detailed sectional view of my switchhousing and its connecting means;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the connecting terminal member;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view of the switch housingwithout the connecting terminal member;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of a modified form of a switch housingconnection;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view of one end of mymodified switch housing and connecting terminal; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the modified connecting terminal member, priorto its assembly.

In the manufacturing of many electrical devices including switches andparticularly snap action switches, there is employed a molded body whichnormally comprises complementary hollow sections which are joinedthrough a vertical plane extending throughout the longitudinal length ofthe switch housing. In the past, it has been necessary to join themating sections of the housing together, after the electrical componentshave been operatively placed therein, by means of screws,

United States Patent 0 3,221,094 Patented Nov. 30, 1965 rivets, or thelike. This operation necessitated the forming of horizontally alignedopenings in each of the sections of the housing and required that thescrews or rivets which extended into these openings be positioned insuch a manner that they would not interfere with the internal operationof the electrical device.

My present invention relates to a new and novel method of connecting themating sections of the housing together through the use of a terminalmember which is a standard part of many of the electrical devices.

Referring to FIG. 1, I disclose the application of my invention to aswitch housing or casing 10 of insulating material which comprises apair of substantially identically formed elongated casing parts orhousing sections 11 and 12. Extending laterally from opposite ends ofthe switch housing 10 are terminal members 14, 15 and 16. Extendingvertically through an opening formed in the top wall is a switchactuator 13. The switch actuator 13, as well as the terminal members 14,15, and 16, are standard parts of a snap-action switch and are identicalwith those of Patent No. 3,073,923, except for the differences in theterminal members which are hereinafter made apparent.

As seen in FIG. 5, each of these terminal members includes asubstantially rectangularly shaped enlarged head portion 17 which liesin a horizontal plane and extends transversely between the confrontingsections 11 and 12 of the housing 10. The inner surfaces of the oppositeside walls 18 and 19 of each of the sections 11 and 12 which define thehollow cavity 20 of the housing 10, are provided with aligned recesses21 and 22 which receive the opposite corresponding edge portions 23 and24 of the head 17 of the terminal. The terminal member as illustrated inFIG. 5, which is of the same configuration as those identified bynumeral 15, 16 and 17, provides a reduced neck portion 25 which extendsout of a slot 26, which is formed between wall abutments 27 and 28provided by the corresponding end walls 29 and 30 of each of thesections 11 and 12 respectively.

The terminal member provides an exposed tail 31 which is of a widthslightly greater than the reduced neck 25. This tail 31 is adapted to beexposed externally from its associated end of the switch housing 10 asseen in FIG. 1. Between the tail 31 and the reduced neck 25 of theterminal member there are provided interlocking elements in the form ofL-shaped arms 32 and 33 extending laterally in opposite directions withrespect to each other through the normal plane of the terminal, as

seen in FIG. 5.

The end walls 29 and 30 of each of the sections 11 and 12 of the housing10 are provided with slots 34 and 35 respectively. These slots aretapered inwardly in the direction of their respective abutments 27 and28, for the purposes hereinafter made apparent.

In connecting the mating sections 11 and 1 2 of the switch housing 10together, the terminal member is positioned within the cavity 20 formedby the mating sections 11 and 12 in such a manner that the edge portions23 and 24 of the enlarged head :17 will sit in their respective alignedrecesses 21 and 22 formed in the opposite inner surfaces of the sidewalls 18 and 19 of the sections 11 and 12 respectively as seen in FIG.4. The neck portion 25 will extend out of the slot 26.

By a special tool (not shown) the laterally extending arms 32 and 33 arebent through their normal horizontal plane in the direction of theenlarged head 17 of their terminal member. These arms 32 and 33 willmove through their respective horizontal aligned slots 34 and 35 formedin the end walls 29 and 30 of the sections 11 and 12 respectively, untilthey engage in a pinching manner the wall abutments 27 and 28.

Adjacent the wall abutments 27 and 28, the side walls 18 and 19 of thesections 11 and 12 are so formed that they provide a re-inforced thickcorner structure 36. This prevents damage to the sections 11 and 12during the pinching movement of the arms 32 and 33. It should be alsonoted that the Wall abutments 27 and 28 have their outer cornersrelieved as at 37, to prevent breakage as the arms 32 and 33 are pinchedinto engagement therewith.

By such an arrangement the sections 11 and 1-2 of the housing areprevented from laterally separating while the terminal member isconnected to the housing 10 in such a manner that it cannot movehorizontally in either direction. This form of connection removes thenecessity of employing connecting screws or rivets, and materiallyreduces the cost of the switch, while at the same time permits a simpleand yet highly effective connection for the mating sections 11 and 12 ofthe switch housing 10.

Referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, I disclose a modified means forconnecting the mating sections 37 and 38 of a switch housing together.Referring to FIG. 9, this modified means includes a terminal member 39which provides latching fingers 40 and 41 which are separated throughouttheir longitudinal length from the end 43 of the terminal 39 by slits40' cut therein. This tenminal 39 has an enlarged head portion 44 whichis adapted to be positioned within the cavity 45 (FIG. 8) formed by themating sections 37 and 38. This enlarged head 44 is adapted to extendbetween the inner surfaces of the opposite side walls 46 and 47 of therespective sections 37 and 38, and has its opposite edges 50 projectedinto recesses 51 formed therein.

The corresponding end walls of the mating sections 37 and 38 when inassembled position provide a horizontal slot 42 out of which projectsthe exposed end 43 of the connecting terminal 39.

This slot 42 formed in the mating end walls of the sections 37 and 38terminates into oppositely extending recesses 48 and 49 formed at rightangles to such slot 42, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8.

When the terminal 39 is placed within the cavity 45 of the housing thelatching fingers 40 and 41 are forcibly bent at right angles to thenormal plane of the terminal 39 from the dotted line position seen inFIG. 9 until they project into the oppositely extending recesses 48 and49 formed in the end walls of the sections 37 and 38 (see FIGS. 7 and8). By this arrangement the terminal 39 is fixedly positioned withrespect to the housing and the sections 37 and 38 are prevented fromseparating.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a housing for an electrical device having a split hollow casing ofinsulating material, means for securing the part of said easing into anassembled relation to provide a hollow housing, comprising (a) anelectrical conducting member extending axially of said casing parts andtransversely to the line of separation therebetween and having anenlarged head having edge portions disposed within inner recesses ofsaid hollow casing and an elongated element extending exteriorlythereof, and

(b) locking means on said exterior element of said member engaging thesplit parts of said casing when in said assembled relation and securingsaid parts together into an integral housing and attaching said memberthereto in a predetermined position,

(0) said locking means comprising substantially L- shaped arms extendinglaterally in opposite directions from opposite parallel edges of saidexterior element of said electrical conducting member.

2. In a housing for an electrical device having a split hollow casing ofinsulating material, means for securing the split parts of said casinginto an assembled relation to provide a hollow housing, comprising (a)an electrical conducting member extending axially of said casing partsand transversely to the line of separation therebetween and having anenlarged head having edge portions disposed within inner recesses ofsaid hollow casing and an elongated element extending exteriorlythereof,

(b) each of the parts of said casing providing opposed spaced apartabutments extending parallelly to the line of separation between saidparts and between which said member extends, and

(c) locking means on said exterior of said member engaging saidabutments when in assembled relation with respect to each other andsecuring said split parts together into an integral housing andattaching said member thereto in a predetermined position.

3. In a housing for an electrical device having a split hollow casing ofinsulating material, means for securing the split parts of said easinginto an assembled relation to provide a hollow housing, comprising (a)an electrical conducting member extending axially of said parts andtransversely to the line of separation therebetween and having anenlarged head portion disposed within and between the parts of saidhollow casing and having head edge portions disposed in inner recessesof said hollow housing and an elongated element extending exteriorlythereof,

(h) each of the parts of said casing providing opposed spaced apartabutments extending parallelly to the line of separation between saidparts and between which said member extends, and

(c) locking means on said exterior of said member engaging saidabutments when in assembled relation with respect to each other securingsaid split parts together into an integral housing and attaching saidmember thereto in a predetermined position,

(d) said locking means comprising substantially L- shaped arms extendinglaterally in opposite directions from opposite parallel edges of saidexterior element of said electrical conducting member.

4. An electrical device including complementary hollow sections whichwhen assembled form a hollow hous- (a) each of said hollow sectionsproviding in corresponding end walls thereof spaced apart abutmentswhich when said sections are in an assembled rela tion with respect toeach other define therebetween an opening,

(b) an elongated terminal member having an enlarged head portion andhaving head edge portions disposed in inner recesses of said hollowhousing and a connecting end extending out of the opening formed in theend walls of the housing axially of said sections and transversely tothe line of separation therebetween, and

(c) interlocking elements carried by said connecting end of saidterminal exteriorly of and normally spaced from the end walls of saidsections when said member and said sect-ions are in an assembledrelation and bent through their normal plane in the di rection of saidend walls of said sections into engagement with said abutments securingsaid sections together in said assembled relation and connecting saidterminal member in a fixed position with respect to the said housing.

5. An elongated device including complementary bollow sections whichwhen assembled form a hollow hous- (a) each of said hollow sectionsproviding in corresponding end walls thereof spaced apart abutmentswhich when said sections are in an assembled relation with respect toeach other define therebetween an opening,

tions from opposite parallel edges of said connecting end of saidelectrical conducting terminal member and bent through their normalplane in the direction of said end Walls of said sections and intoengage- (b) an elongated terminal member having a portion 5 ment withsaid abutments.

within the hollow housing and a connecting end extending out of theopening formed in the end Walls of the housing axially of said sectionsand trans versely to the line of separation therebetween, and

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,856,681 5/1932Wolcott.

(c) interlock-mg elements carried by said connecting 10 2211591 8/1940Benander 339 196 X end of said terminal exteriorly of said end walls of9/1952 Cousins 9 X said sections when said member and said sections2652548 9/1953, Benande; X are in an assembled relation and saidinterlocking 1 A1958 Hutt 2()() 5 elements securing said sectionstogether in sai as- 29O8886 10/1959 Frekk; 3 .4 sembled relation andconnecting said termin l me 15 3O73923 1/1963 Anderso;1 200 7 her in afixed position with respect to the said h 3:098:905 7/1963 Anderson 0 7ting, said terminal member and its interlocking elements being normallyWithin a single plane disposed OHN F, BURNS, Primary Examiner.transversely to said line of separation,

(d) said interlocking elements comprising substantially 20 BERNARDGILHEANY: JAMES SAX,

L-shaped arms extending laterally in opposite direc- RELL CLAY Exammers-

1. IN A HOUSING FOR AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE HAVING A SPLIT HOLLOW CASING OFINSULATING MATERIAL, MEANS FOR SECURING THE PART OF SAID CASING INTO ANASSEMBLED RELATION TO PROVIDE A HOLLOW HOUSING, COMPRISING (A) ANELECTRICAL CONDUCTING MEMBER EXTENDING AXIALLY OF SAID CASING PARTS ANDTRANSVERSELY TO THE LINE OF SEPARATION THEREBETWEEN AND HAVING ANENLARGED HEAD HAVING EDGE PORTIONS DISPOSED WITHIN INNER RECESS OF SAIDHOLLOW CASING AND AN ELONGATED ELEMENT EXTENDING EXTERIORLY THEREOF, AND